What was going on? Why had his mount become a little uncomfortable? Chen Qianqiu barely opened his slit pupils, only then realizing that something was off.
Qian Renxue, who had been throwing punches and kicks with her presence on full display at the market just moments ago, was now walking slower and slower.
Her brilliant golden hair, which had glittered in the sunlight, now drooped somewhat listlessly.
Drip.
Without warning, a warm drop of water landed on Chen Qianqiu's black scales.
Holy shit? What was going on???
"Xiao Hei..."
Qian Renxue stopped and sniffled, her little nose stinging. Her normally clear voice now carried a slight tremor.
"Do you think... I went too far back there?"
Those people had been far too overbearing, and they had bullied Xiao Hei too, so she hadn't thought about anything else at the time. But now that things had quieted down, an inexplicable anxiety over what she might lose surged straight up.
"Did I cause trouble for Daddy by making such a big scene?"
Qian Renxue gently rested her chin on Chen Qianqiu's head. Her voice grew quieter and quieter, tears swirling in her eyes.
"If Mommy finds out... she already hates me so much. Now she'll definitely think I'm a bad child who goes around causing trouble. Will she dislike me even more?"
"If Mommy decides she doesn't want me at all because of this, what will Xue'er do...?"
Listening to the little girl's tearful muttering, filled with extreme unease, the still-drowsy Chen Qianqiu instantly became mostly awake.
He lifted his head and looked at Qian Renxue's aggrieved little face, covered in helplessness, and couldn't help feeling a pang of melancholy.
Sigh, she was only a child, after all. I'd thought she was far stronger than she really was.
Qian Renxue hadn't had many friends in Spirit Hall to begin with. As the Supreme Pontiff, her father had little time to spend with her, while her mother regarded her as the greatest stain and humiliation of her life, making no effort to hide her loathing.
Living in such a cold family environment, it would have been strange if a child didn't overthink things.
The overbearing ferocity Qian Renxue had displayed toward outsiders earlier was nothing more than the soft shell this little hedgehog used to protect herself.
Deep down, she was still that pitiful child who desperately longed for Bibi Dong's approval and maternal love. That obsession had even become an indelible scar in her heart.
At that thought, Chen Qianqiu sighed.
Eat someone's food, and your tongue softens; take their gifts, and your hands are tied. Since I'd latched onto this rich lady's thigh, I had to do something at a time like this.
Chen Qianqiu struggled to roll over, then used his little black claw to gently pat the back of Qian Renxue's tightly clenched hand, signaling for her to relax.
Then he raised his head, pointed at his own nose with his other claw, and stiffly tugged the corners of his mouth upward, putting on a dragon smile. There was no helping it-the inheritance in Nidhogg's bloodline didn't teach useless things like this. He had to learn them himself.
Qian Renxue froze for a moment, looking through misty eyes at the little black dragon making comical gestures in her arms, and sniffled softly.
"Xiao Hei, are you saying you'll always stay with me?"
Hearing that, Chen Qianqiu nodded with utmost seriousness and rubbed his little head against her palm.
Sigh, this was so embarrassing, but I had to cling tightly to this thigh!
Who besides yours truly could look after a little lass with such a troubled fate?
Feeling Xiao Hei's goodwill, Qian Renxue felt a warm current flow into her tightly clenched heart, and her mood instantly improved considerably.
"Pfft..."
The little girl broke into a smile through her tears.
"Then it's a promise! Pinky swear! Xiao Hei, you have to stay with me forever. From now on, I'll protect you, and you'll protect me. We'll grow up together!"
Pinky swear.
Chen Qianqiu raised his dragon claw, meeting Qian Renxue's earnest gaze as he said the same thing in his heart.
Pinky swear, little lass.
"All right, Xiao Hei, let's go play!"
Qian Renxue hooked her little finger around Chen Qianqiu's little black claw, then, in excellent spirits, put him back on top of her head and wandered around. The girl and dragon had thoroughly become Martial Soul Mountain's two great street loafers.
It had to be said that Spirit Hall was truly enormous. Its neatly arranged clusters of palaces, winding white jade corridors, and maze-like garden structures were simply dazzling.
Nestled in Qian Renxue's golden hair, Chen Qianqiu was getting dizzy from all the turns. With a layout this complicated, without Qian Renxue as his living map, he might not even have been able to find somewhere to go to the bathroom.
As they walked, the girl and dragon followed the Angel Corridor to its end. They had just rounded a corner when a figure standing with his hands behind his back appeared directly in their path.
The man wore magnificent, imposing bright silver pontifical robes and a pontiff's crown. His face was handsome, but his brows naturally held the harshness and cold severity of someone long accustomed to standing above others.
Yet the instant this seemingly unapproachable figure's gaze fell on Qian Renxue, the harsh, stern expression on his face abruptly softened.
This was none other than Spirit Hall's current Supreme Pontiff, Qian Xunji.
In fact, just moments earlier, the leader of the hidden guards responsible for protecting Qian Renxue had already given him a detailed report of everything that had happened at the outer city's market.
When he learned that a junior from a collateral branch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had actually dared to attack his precious daughter in public, Qian Xunji had been genuinely enraged.
However, Qian Xunji had been very pleased with Qian Renxue's subsequent retaliation. As Spirit Hall's young master and heir to the Angel God's sacred bloodline, she ought to possess precisely this sort of decisive, ruthless dominance.
So much better than her grandfather. Truly his own daughter.
"Father!"
Seeing him, Qian Renxue instantly quickened her leisurely steps. Her large eyes shone as she cheered and rushed straight toward Qian Xunji.
She usually never got to see her father. She hadn't expected to run into him here today. Xiao Hei really was his lucky star.
"Slow down, slow down. Don't fall."
Qian Xunji strode forward to meet her and securely scooped up his daughter as she barreled into him like a little cannonball, his voice full of affection.
Held in her father's arms, Qian Renxue lost every trace of the swagger she had displayed in the outer city earlier.
She lowered her head, twisting her two fair, tender index fingers together. Like an ordinary little girl who had done something wrong, she took the initiative to admit her mistake in a quiet mumble.
"Father, I'm sorry. Xue'er caused trouble today. I fought with people at the market, and I... I spent lots and lots of Gold Soul Coins..."
"So you spent them. How is Spirit Hall's young master buying a few things she likes considered causing trouble?"
Smiling, Qian Xunji reached out and gently pinched her pert little nose.
"As for the rest, the hidden guards told me everything. They were the ones who acted overbearingly first. You did very well and didn't tarnish Spirit Hall's prestige."
Hearing that her father not only wasn't blaming her but was praising her instead, Qian Renxue was delighted at first. But then her little face fell again, and she asked quietly, somewhat worried:
"But... if Mommy finds out I caused trouble outside, will she be even angrier with me and think I'm a bad child...?"